Winding machine



April 1949. c. D. JENCKS 2,466,109

WINDING MACHINE Filed Jan. 25, 1946 3 Sheets-Sheet l April 1949. c. n. JENCKS 2,466,109

WINDING uAcflI flE Filed Jan. 25, 1946 sheets-sheet 2 April 5, 1949- c. o. JENCKS I 2,466,109

WINDING nmcums Filed Jan. 25, 1946 vis Sheets-$11901: s

ARusah/ms the latter increases in size.

Patented Apr. 5, 1949 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE WINDING MACHINE Charles D. Jencks, Bristol, R. 1., assignor, .by mesne assignments, to The Werdna Company, Bristol Highlands, R. L, a partnership Application January 25, 1946, Serial No. 643,315

12 Claims. 1

This invention relates to machines for windin yarn, thread or other filaments and consists in improvements whereby thread packages, particularly packages of rayon or other fine synthetic yarns, or elastic thread, may be automatically wound at high speed, with more exact control of density and accuracy in the size, shape and contents of the package than has been possible heretofore.

In one aspect the invention consists in a new and improved device for controlling the laying of the thread and the shape, density and contour of the package, constructed and arranged to be maintained always in infinitely light contact with, or barely out of contact with, the surface of the package being wound.

As herein shown, the back or frame which carries the traversing thread guide is mounted so that it is nearly balanced and its retracting movement from the thread package is controlled and made smooth by connection with a dash pot. When the back is balanced to move naturally toward the thread package, it is retracted by light contact with the surface of the package as Suitable provision is made for overcoming the increasing moment of the back as it is retracted and the possibility of any vibration or bouncing effect is eliminated by the action of the dash pot mechanism.

Alternatively, the back may be balanced normally to retract from the surface of the thread package, and in this embodiment of the invention the back is intermittently locked in position by feeler-controlled mechanism which releases it from time to time as the diameter of the thread package increases for retracting movement under dash pot control.

Going more into detail, the winding machine of my invention, in a preferred embodiment, includes in its organization a back mounted to swing about a fixed axis and so balanced that it tends of itself to move away from the thread package. The back carries a traversing threadguide and a feeler roll or rocker so mounted that it will be turned by the lightest touch of the thread package as the latter is increased in diameter in the winding operation. A locking device, preferably magnetic, is arranged to hold the back intermittently at rest but is controlled by the feeler roll, that is to say, it is momentarily 2 released from time to time when the roll is moved. When this happens the back is freed and may swing slightly under dash pot control away from the thread package.

These and other features of the invention will be best understood and appreciated from the following description of preferred embodiments thereof, selected for purposes of illustration and shown in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a view in perspective of so much of a winding machine as is necessary to understand the present invention,

Fig. 2 is a view in perspective of portions of a winding machine showing the back-controlling mechanism, I

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary view in elevation of the starting lever and associated parts,

Fig. 4 is a view in perspective showing dash pot parts in exploded relation,

Fig. 5 is a view inperspective showing an alternate form of dash pot and locking mechanism,

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary view of portions of the locking mechanism, and

Fig. '7 is a view partly in elevation and partly in longitudinal section of the dash pot shown in Fig. 5 and associated mechanism.

In carrying out the invention, any desired winding machine of conventional construction may be employed insofar as the general construction of the elements for supporting and rotating the winding spindle or the cop and for imparting traversing movement to the thread guide. Ac-

cordingly, in Fig. 1 is shown only one of the upright side frames 10 of a winding machine. In

. this frame is supported by suitable journal boxes and rotated at high speed a horizontal spindle I l carrying a removable cop l2 on which the thread package 13 is to'be wound. In Fig. 1 the thread package is shown as conical, but it might of course be cylindrical in shape, as shown in Fig. 2.

The back carrying the thread guide and control mechanism is supported to rock about the axis of a shaft l4 projecting outwardly from the side frame l0, being held in place on the shaft M by a corrugated cam wheel IS. The wheel I5 is utilized as a part of the stopping mechanism as will presently appear. The back includes an upwardly extending arm I6 carrying a transversely extending frame I]. In this frame is provided a horizontal bearing for a rod I! from which ex- 3 tends an upright arm i3 carrying a thread guide. The rod I3 is reciprocated at high speed by cam a and to which is secured a cover plate 44. A

mechanism, not shown, in traversing the thread I guide back and forth in a path parallel to the axis of the thread package.

A horizontal rod 20 is mounted in the upper portion of the machine frame to be oscillated by a starting handle 2| which is secured to its forward end as shown in Fig. 1 and normally projects upwardly within convenient reach of the operator. At its rear end the rod 26 carries a cam arm 22 which is the actuating element of a belt tightener operating to start and stop rotation of the spindle II. The belt tightener is not herein shown since this is used conventionally in winding machines of this general type and it is sufiicient to say that when the starting handle 2| is moved in a clockwise direction, the cam arm 22 is rocked in a direction to tighten a driving belt for the spindle so that the spindle starts. The starting handle may be latched in running position and when tripped, the spindle brought to rest by a brake shoe 24 operatively connected with the rod 20 through i an arm 23 fast to the rod 20 adjacent to the starting handle 2|. The mechanism thus far described is all well known and in current use in the industry.

The back and the parts connected thereto are so balanced that the guide l9 tends normally to move toward the thread package with extremely light pressure, that is to say, the back is almost balanced to remain in any position to which it is moved but with a slight tendency to rock in a. counter-clockwise direction, but to be displaced by the lightest touch of the thread package as the latter increases in size. The initial position of the back is adjustably determined by an eccentric stop 25 mountedifi'theside frame in position to engage the arm I6. This may be loosened and set in any desired position and then tightened.

The back includes a substantially horizontal arm 26 secured to the a I6, and projecting sideways in a substantiallyhorizontal initial position. To the outer end of the arm 26 is pivotally connected a vertical double link 21 and this in turn is pivotally connected at its lower end to the piston rod 28 of a dash pct 29 disposed in vertical position and secured to a bracket 30. The bracket 30 is secured to a subbase 3| upon which the winding machine is mounted. A long tension spring 32 is connected between the arm 26 and a hook projecting from the bracket 30. This spring serves to compensate for the increase moment arm of the back as the back is rocked out of its initial position; that is to say, the spring 32 maintains the back in the same condition of balance throughout its movement. The same result could be achieved by a series of counter-weights hung on the arm 26 and arranged to be picked up successively in the progressive movement of the arm. As already explained, the purpose of the dash pot is to control and smooth the retracting movement of the back as it is displaced in clockwise direction by contact of the growing thread package with a wire bale 33 guarding the thread guide arm iii.

The furnishing mechanism is carried by an upright standard 40 is secured to the top of the machine frame and carries at its upper end an adjustable angle bracket 4|. This bracket car- ,ries at its outer end a bearing sleeve 42 which, in turn, carries an elongated frame 43 constituting the base of the furnishing mechanism horizontal shaft 46 is Journaled in the sleeve 42 and is provided at its outer end with a driving pulley, not shown, by which the furnishing mechanism is driven. At its inner end the shaft 45 carries astrand-feeding cone 46. This cone 46 cooperates with a strand-feeding cone 41 carried by a freely rotatable shaft 46 journaled in a bracket 49 projecting forwardly from the base frame 43 of the mechanism. A spring in the bracket 49 holds the two cones yieldingly in engagement. the cone 4'! being driven by contact with the cone 46 and cooperating with it to advance the thread positively at a linear rate depending upon the distance of the thread from the vertex of the cones.

The path of the thread between the feeding cones is controlled by mechanism which will now be described. A sector 50 is mounted to rock upon a short shaft 5| mounted in the upper portion of the frame 43, and from this sector projects a thread arm 52 having an eye at its outer end through which the thread passes on its way to the thread package. A short chain 53 is connected to the sector 50 and wrapped about its segmental surface. The chain 53 is connected to the upper end of a light metal bar 54 having a thread eye intermediate its length and connected at its lower end to a similar sector in the lower part of the base frame 43 of the mechanism. Thread passing to the furnishing device is directed thereto by an eye 62 supported by an arm projecting from the base frame 43 and carrying also felt tension discs 63 for slightly 5 tensioning the thread as it passes to the strand feeding cones of the furnishing device.

It will be seen that thread passing through the eye of the thread arm 52, when subjected to tension, tends to rock sector 50 in a clockwise direc- 40 tion and to lift the bar 54 with its thread eye.

When there is a lessening in the demand from the package, the thread arm 52 swings upwardly and the eye of the b'arBd is moved to a position wherein it directs the thread in a path adjacent to the apexof the strand feeding cones 46 and 51. On the other hand, as the thread demand increases, the thread arm 52 will be swung downwardly, the sector 58 rocked upwardly, and the bar 54 elevated, carrying its eye to a position in which the thread passes between the cones 46 and 41 at an increasingly greater distance from their apices and accordingly at an increasingly faster rate of feed.

The stopping mechanism will now be briefly described. A wire arm I2 extends upwardly and outwardly from the shaft 5| and then forwardly into a position above the thread arm 52. A second wire arm 13 extends outwardly and then forwardly into a position below the thread arm, there being suilicient space between the arms 72 and 13 to permit the thread arm 52 to oscillate freely throughout its normal working range of movement. If the thread should break, the thread arm 52 will immediately fly upwardly into contact with the arm 12, whereas if a knot or slub on the thread should catch in the eye of the thread arm, the arm will be immediately pulled downwardly into contact with the arm I3. The arms 12 and 13 are operatlvely (not shown) connected to a block 15 pivotally mounted upon a stud 16 set in the base frame 43. To the block 15 is connected a vertically extending link ll curved at its upper end and including in its length an adjustable sleeve 18 by which the effective length of the link may be regulated. At its lower end the link 11 is connected to a wire arm II which extends forwardly over the stem of the adjusting stop 25 and at its forward end underlies a double wire arm 33 pivotally mounted on the forward end of a latch lever 3i mounted to rock about a stud 32 projecting outwardly from the side frame II of the machine.

The starting handle II has a downwardly extending arm 31, best shown in Fig. 3, carrying at its lower end a detent 33 which is arranged to catch behind a hardened latch piece 33 fast to the end of the latch lever II when the starting handle is rocked in clockwise direction to its running position. Now if the thread arm 33 is rocked in either direction sufficiently to engage the arm 12 or the arm I3, the block I! swings downwardly, the link ll drops, the wire arm I3 is rocked in a counter-clockwise direction, and

the wire arm 33 is moved from its normal inoperative position into contact with the corrugated cam wheel i5. wire arm 33 is moved outwardly and upwardly and the latch lever 3i is lifted sufllciently to free the detent 33 on the arm 31. When this happens the spring actuated cam arm 32 is rocked with the starting handle 2i into stopping position, the

brake 24 is applied, and the spindle immediately link 11. Accordingly, when the starting handle is rocked in counter-clockwise direction, the arm 36 is swung downwardly, the rocker 34 moves in counterclockwise direction, and the link 11 is lifted through the medium of the connecting link 33 and restored to its initial position, and subsequently released when the starting handle is latched again in running position.

The alternative and preferred construction and arrangement above mentioned is shown in Figs. 2,

and 4 to 7, and in these views theback isshown as balanced normally to retract from the thread package and is controlled in this movement by the dash pot mechanism. In Fig. 2 the back is represented as carried by an arm 3| mounted to rock about the axis of the shaft l4 and, as before, merging at its upper end into a transversely disposed frame now marked 33. The thread guide 36 is carried by a slide arranged to reciprocate in the frame 3! as will be readily understood. The frame carries brackets 31 between which is journaled for free oscillation a feeler roll 33 having at one end an eccentric portion 33. A microswitch 55 is mounted adjacent the right hand end of the frame 35 as shown in Fig. 2 and is provided with an operating arm 53 which rests upon the eccentric portion 33 of the feeler roll 33. The switch 55 is normally closed and the action of the feeler roll 33 is very light in lifting the arm -56 and opening the switch and is effected-by the slightest brush or the thread package against the feeler roll.

The switch 55 is connected by wires 51 to an electro-magnet 53 mounted upon a bracket 53 which is shown in Fig. 2 as secured to the right hand side frame IU of the machine and broken away at its outer end ,to expose the electromagnet. The back includes a downwardly ex- When this happens, the double tending segment arm 33 which is arranged to the electro-magnet acts as a magnetic brake locking the back against movement. When the feeler roll is oscillated momentarily lifting the switch arm 33, the electro-magnet is de-energized, the segment arm 33 is released, and the back allowed to rock away from the -thread package. However, as soon as the feeler roll moves out of contact with the thread package, it drops back to its original position and the electro-magnet circuit through the switch '35 is immediately'closed.

The feeler roll 33 is mounted to turn so freely that ordinarily the weight of its eccentric portion '33 is suflicient to return it to a determined initial position as soon as the back carries it out of contact with the thread package. This feeler roll is not herein claimed, but forms thesubjectmatter of my co-pending application Ser. No. 530,980, filed April 14, 1944, now Patent No. 2,463,713 dated March 8, 1949.

The back shown in Fig. 2 includes in its strucv nism may be located so as to operate upon any convenient moving part of the back or of the dash pot mechanism; for example, it could well be arranged to operate upon the piston rod 33 of the 'dash pot itself.

The mechanism illustrated in Figs. 4-7 is similar to that shown in Fig. 2 in respect to the construction and arrangement of the back, but shows the back in association with a preferred form of dash pot and locking mechanism. Referring to those figures, the main arm I. of the back carries at its lower end a rearwardly and obliquely projecting angle 34. This is forked at its outer end and pivotally connected to a link'35 which, in turn, is connected to a plunger 33. The plunger 33 is guided for vertical movement in a bore formed in a block 31 which is a part of a casting bolted to the machine frame I... The

always to move the locking bolt toward the left as seen in Fig. 6 and into locking engagement with the plunger 33, thereby holding it rigidly against vertical movement.

The locking belt I" is intermittently and auto matically released by a vertical lever lflfwhich is fulcrumed at-its upper end upon a block. fastened to one face of the block 31. At its forward end the bolt Hill passes through the lever I32 and is connected thereto by a cross pin I33. At its lower end the lever I02 is connected to the plunger ill of a solenoid "3. The latter is connected by wires I to a micro-switch ll controlled by the reeler roll l8. Whenever current passes through the micro-switch 55 the solenoid I is energized and the lever I 02 is swung toward the right as seen in Figs. 5 and 7, thus releasing the plunger 36 and permitting the back to fall away from the thread package. As soon as the i'eeler roll clears' the thread package, the micro-switch acts to cut ofi current to the solenoid I05 and the back is instantly locked by action 01' the locking bolt I00 on the plunger 3|.

The dash pot mechanism will now be described. The plunger 38 is shouldered and provided with an intermediate threaded section 84 and a lower reduced section '93 having a conical point. A stop collar 65 is secured to the body of the plunger for the purpose of limiting its upward movement by engagement with the lower face of the block 31. Check nuts 86 and 61 are mounted upon the threaded section 64 of the plunger and a piston member 58 is adjustably connected to the'lower end of the plunger. Opening 69 in its lower face and an oblique passage I ll extending between the bore containing the reduced section 93 of the plunger and the fluid space oi. the dash pot. The piston member has a series of holes extending vertically through its body portion, and these are normally closed by a check valve comprising a flange disk 90 which is carried loosely by the piston member.

The cylindrical casing 92 of the dash pot extends through a horizontal bracket 14 and is closed by a screw-threaded cap 9|. The bore in the valve member permits leakage about the reduced section 93 of the spindle and the action of the dash pot is regulated by adjustment of the conical point of this member in the valve opening 69. It will be seen that when the back is released for movement away from the thread package, the movement of the piston member upwardly in the dash pot is regulated by the flow oi! oil through the passage 10 and downwardly through the valve opening 89. On the other hand, when the back is to be swung inwardly to its initial position, the'check valve 90 lifts and permits oil in the dash pot to flow freely upward.

Having thus disclosed my invention and described in detail illustrative embodiments thereof, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. A winding machine having a rotatable shaft, a pivotally mounted back balanced to move normally away from a thread package rotated by said shaft, means controlled by contact with the ,thread package for intermittently locking the back against movement,-and dash pot mechanism for controlling retracting movement of the back when the latter is unlocked.

2. A winding machine having means for rotating a thread package, a pivotally mounted back balanced for movement toward or from a rotating thread package in response to light actuating force, compensating means for maintaining the moment of the back substantially constant in all positions thereof, and dash pot mechanism for controlling the movement of the back. 7

3. A winding machine having. means for rotating a thread package, a pivotally mounted back balanced to move normally away from a rotating thread package, magnetic locking means for the back, a switch operated by contact with the thread package for intermittently unlocking the back, compensating means for maintaining the moment of the back substantially constant in all positions thereof, and dash pot mechanism con- This has a tapered valve nected to the back and tending to retard its movemerits; 4. A winding machine including in its structure means for rotating a thread package, a back car- 5 rying a thread guide, being mounted to swing about a fixed axis toward and from the thread package and balanced to move initially away from the said package, dash pot mechanism connected to the back and tendin to retard its movement. and locking means controlled by the back for automatically locking the back when separated from the thread'package.

5. A winding machine including in its structure means for rotating a thread Package, a back carrying a thread guide and a feeler roll and being mounted to swing normally away irom'the thread package, dash pot mechanism connected to the backand tending to retard its movement, electrically operated locking means for holding the back against movement, and a switch operated by said feeler roll on contact with the thread package for releasing the said locking means.

6. A winding machine including in its structure means, for rotating a thread package, a back mounted to move about a fixed axis and balanced to swing awayirom the thread package,a thread guide and a feeler roll carried by the back, an arm connected to the back and movable about its said axis, a dash pot connected to said arm, a segment also connected to the back, electric locking means initially holding said segment against movement, and a switch operated by the ieeler rollon contact with the thread package for intermittently releasing the said lock. 5 'L'A winding machine including in its structure means for rotating a thread package, a back pivotally mounted to swing about a fixed axis and balanced to move away fromsaid package, an arm extending angularly from the back, a plunger 0 moved by said arm, a lock arranged to engage and hold said plunger and back while the back is separated from the thread package,'and solehold-operated means for releasing the said lock when, from time to time, the thread package con tacts the back,

8. A winding machine including in its structure means for rotating a thread package, a back pivotally mounted to swing about a fixed axis and balanced to move normally away from the thread package, a plunger connected to said back for movement therewith, spring operated locking means normally holding the plunger and back against movement, a solenoid operating to release said locking means, and an electrical circuit including a feeler-operatedswitch for energizing said solenoid.

I 9. A winding machine including means for rotating a thread package, a back carrying a traversing thread guide and mounted to swing toward and from the package. a dash pot, a dash pot plunger connected to the back, and a lock acting on the plunger for both holding the back against movement and rendering the dash pot temporarily inoperative.

10. A winding machine including in its structure a back pivotally mounted to swing about a horizontal axis, an arm extending obliquely from the back, a dash pot having a plunger guided for movement in a vertical path, a link connecting said arm and plunger, and locking mechanism acting upon said plunger for holding the back at rest from time to time during the winding operation.

11. A winding machine comprising means for rotating a thread package, a back carrying a amazon thread guideand a 'Ieeler'roll and being mounted to swing normally outwardly from the rotatingthread package, dashpot mechanism connected to the back and tendingto retard its outward movement, locking means operated by an outside source of power {or holding the back against its said movement, and a controlling device operated by said Iee'ler roll on contact with the rotating thread package for releasing the said locking:

means.

12. A winding machine having a rotatable spindle :or a thread package, a back carryinga a v 10- thread guide constructed and arranged to cooperate with said spindle to wind a package thereon,

means for relatively moving apart said spindle and back, means controlled by contact with the thread package .for controlling said first means, and dash pot mechanism for adjustably controlling the rate of separation of said spindle and back.

CHARLES D. JENCKS.

No references cited. 

